The MANAWATU DAILY Times SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1936. The National Dairy Conference

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 144, 20 June 1936, Page 4

The MANAWATU DAILY Times SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1936. The National Dairy Conference

Some i'our to live hundred delegates of the dairy industry met this week in Hastings at the forty-second annual conference of the National Dairy Association. In the history of the association there could have seldom been a more momentous conference. There have been other great occasions. The marketing scheme of ten years ago led to some mighty debates and heated speeches. Again in 1935, at the conference held in this city, there was great discussion upon what has come to pass, the guaranteed price scheme. After lengthy debate the scheme was rejected by a four to one vote.

Truly here is drama in the political sphere. The plain M.P. who a year ago unsuccessfully pleaded for guaranteed prices has this week attended the conference as the Minister for Marketing and there told the delegates what lie will be doing with their produce. The Hon. Walter Nash’s speech was the most looked-for event of the conference. Certain extracts from it are therefore of interest: —

“One great object that we set out to achieve was the removal for ail time of the fear of price falls and ccstacics of price rises. Of course, the farmer does not mind the ccstacics, but there are often very unfortunate sequels, and it is to avoid these that the Government policy will strive to accomplish.”

The Minister would not announce the price to be fixed. He did state, however, that it would be fixed a little higher than even the most generous use of the eight to ten-year average would allow.

Speaking of margarine, the Minister gave it as his opinion that blitter was unlikely to return more than Is a lb., as any higher price would turn Home consumers to margarine in place of butter. To retail at Is per lb. butter must sell wholesale in London at 98s. To return Is 3d per lb. of butter-fat to New Zealand daily-farmers the London price required is 124 s per cwt.

Should the Government guarantee Is 3d per lb., then it would stand to lose 26s per cwt. on all butter exported. On an export of 120,000 tons per annum, the loss would be £3,120,000. The loss on cheese exports would probably amount to £1,250,000 per annum, a grand total of £4,370,000. This is tantamount to a 26 per cent, further rise on the exchange rate as far as the dairy industry is concerned.

An important outcome of the conference was the decision to establish an incorporated body to act as the dairy farmers’ permanent “parliament.” It was considered that in future the Dairy Board will be merely a tool of the Government. The industry wished to preserve its own entirely free organisation. During the past two years there has been a tendency for the National Dairy Conference to lose some of its former greatness. Now it would seem that its prestige will become greater than ever before.

Under the direction of a new Government .the dairy industry is to sail uncharted seas. It faces many grave issues. Rising costs and employment problems within the Dominion; at Home, the reactions of Tooley Street and those of British farmers to a subsidised product. The latter indeed may become one of great difficulty.

When next the conference meets, twelve months hence, who can foretell what its discussions may be upon and what its attitude may be?

The Wandsworth memorial to King George will be a bandstand to be built in the park opened by him in 1923. The number of full-timo university students in Britain has grown from 44,309 to 50,638 in. the past six years.

Blind babies from an East Grinstead home wore guests of the Lady Mayoress at Mansion House, London, recently. Venice recently experienced its high est tide for 24 years, causing the flooding of buildings and the failure of the electricity supply.